The South African Property Owners Association (Sapoa) would contact the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) to raise concerns relating to the issuing of water use licences and the risk the current issuing process posed to development activity.

In a statement on Monday, the association explained that, as the majority of new land development proposals in South Africa required the crossing of water courses, water use licences had become a key criterion in new land and property projects; however, the process relating to the issuing of the licences was highly cumbersome, lengthy and unclear.

Sapoa noted that all water use licence applications appeared to be handled through the DWS with no delegation to regional offices.

“The result is that the timing of approval is uncertain, although certainly very long, which is a significant cost and challenge for our property developer and property owner members,” Sapoa legal officer Eugenia Makgabo said.

Further, river resource determinations were also a concern, the organisation said.

For example, in eThekwini, municipal officials had advised Sapoa members that the municipality was unable to obtain approval for any wastewater treatment works – or for any expansion of existing works – while the DWS was conducting river reserve determinations for all rivers between the Mvoti and the Umkomaas.

“While Sapoa acknowledges thorough planning on the part of DWS, we are concerned at the length of time this task will take, and what the impact will be on several large new land developments located in the municipal area.

“We are as yet not clear on what the process is, if it has started or even what the timeframe will be,” Makgabo stated.

Sapoa CEO Neil Gopal stated that the association was confident that it would be able to find a constructive way to work with the DWS to find a solution to these concerns.